SHIP-SHORE RADIO

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 50, 27 August 1938, Page 10

SHIP-SHORE RADIO

NEW ZEALAND TO QUEEN MARY

A 26-MINUTE RECORD

A telegram handed in at Wellington Post Office for the liner Queen Mary reached its destination somewhere in the Atlantic in 26 minutes. This was no chance happening, but could be repeated if the message became available for transmission any evening just before Awarua—-one of the Post Office short-wave commercial radio stations —makes its daily contact with Britain's finest liner. The telegram was presented at "Wellington at 7.40 p.m., and the Awarua radio station, having obtained the liner's response to its call at 8.2 p.m., completed the transmission of the message at 8.6 p.m. This was one of the ordinary events in connection with the radio service conducted by the New Zealand Post Office with ships at sea. It enables passengers travelling on most of the important shipping routes to make easy contact with the Dominion, the charges ranging from 2d per word on the WellingtonLyttelton run to lid per word, the highest rate. Passengers on ships are also able to use a convenient "shipletter" telegram service on the basis of 2s 6d for ten words where the ordinary charge does not exceed 6d, or 5s for 20 words where the rate normally exceeds 6d a word. "Shipletter" telegrams are delivered by post ion the morning following their lodgment with the ship's wireless officer. Approximately 2000 messages are exchanged every month between ships and New Zealand radio stations, about two-thirds of the traffic originating on | shipboard.